


Say Something

by MissYuki1990



Series: Curing My SNK Obsession [3]
Category: Shingeki no Kyojin
Genre: Blizzards & Snowstorms, Caring, M/M, Mutual Pining, One-Shot, Slash, Universe Alteration, riren - Freeform, shameless fluff, trapped alone
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-02-04
Updated: 2015-02-04
Packaged: 2018-03-10 10:42:18
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,629
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3287300
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MissYuki1990/pseuds/MissYuki1990
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p><em>“Eren!” the captain called out when Eren rounded the corner, the younger man backtracking and looking at his captain with eyes wide in confusion.</em><br/>“Yes?” he inquired, staring at Levi with those big, teal eyes while the captain looked to the side, corners of his lips slightly wrinkled as he tried to figure out why he called out to Eren. Giving up on it, Levi sighed and shook his head, taking Reren’s harness into his right hand.<br/>“Ride with me,” he spoke as he led Reren out of the stall, Eren jumping to the side with a steadily brightening expression. “I won’t mind some company.”</p>
            </blockquote>





	Say Something

**Disclaimer:** I claim no rights to the characters of Shingeki no Kyojin.

**I dedicate this to[Ota-cool](http://heichous-wings-of-freedom.tumblr.com/), because I am seriously starting to adore her! Thanks for suffering my horrid writing, sweetie!!! Biggest smooch ever!!**

* * *

Levi huffed in annoyance as he stared out the window of his rooms high in one of the towers of old Recon Corps Headquarters. For some strange reason Levi was tense. He had already cleaned his room two times over, went through his clothes to fix any tears he might have missed yesterday, checked up on the others to see if they had finished their chores, and returned to his room to clean it up again, annoyed that dirt didn't gather faster, because at least _then_ he would have something to do.

The hold he had on the mug of tea cradled in his right hand was precariously strong, knuckles turning white with the force of his grip. He had his left arm wrapped around his waist, hand fisted in the side of his brown vest, and if he had even slightly less dignity he would be hopping in his place with excess energy.

The courtyard of the old Headquarters was slowly being covered in a layer of fresh snow, dusty flakes dancing in the air on a light breeze. It has been falling for a few days now, winter finally taking hold, which basically meant no expeditions and very few things to do sans training and doing whatever they could to kill their boredom.

Levi hated winter. Not because he hated snow or the cold, but because he had very little to do. It didn't really help that they were all but _trapped_ in the old Headquarters because their higher-ups wanted Eren nowhere near people, so Levi’s whole squad was condemned to spend their days in this god forsaken place.

On one had that was good. Levi didn’t have to suffer _people_. On the _other_ hand, if the snow didn’t cease to fall soon, he would go insane with having nothing to do.

Growling in ever rising annoyance, Levi turned on his heel and marched over to his almost _too_ clean desk, placed the cup on it and grabbed his winter-coat off of the back of the chair, making his way out of his room as he tugged the coat over his casual wear.

He could hear distant voices as he marched down many corridors towards the main gate, the fire of torches lining the walls casting dim light upon stone walls and floors, his faint footsteps echoing through the silence.

He walked out into the crisp, afternoon air, dry snow squeaking under his leather boots, and he buttoned up his coat to shield himself form the cold, making his way towards the stables. He thought he heard Hanji’s shrill voice followed by the sound of several people laughing, but he ignored them, walking into the stable and making his way towards the last stall where his trusted steed quietly munched on dry hay, dignified just like his master.

The beautiful brown steed raised his head when the door to his stall opened and Levi walked in, and with a huff the horse turned around, nudging Levi’s right shoulder with his muzzle. A hardly audible sigh left Levi’s lips as he placed his hands on his horse’s cheeks, resting his forehead between big, black eyes.

“Do you feel like going out as well, Reren?” He asked quietly, the horse lightly hitting his front left hoof against the hay covered ground. Levi moved back, tenderly brushing his right hand down Reren’s neck, enjoying the feel of short, brown hairs under his hands, almost black colored strands of the steed’s mane entangling in Levi’s fingers.

Reren huffed and Levi’s lips tilted in a hardly visible smile, although anyone watching closely enough would have certainly seen the steel Levi had for eyes warming up considerably. Tense shoulders relaxed for the smallest of fragments as Levi started preparing Reren for an outing.

It seemed as though Levi was going slow on purpose, taking his time in tying leather belts carefully, Reren preening under the attention of his master, standing taller each time Levi’s hands would linger on the thick neck or strong, muscled shoulders.

“Levi-heichō?” said man looked over his left shoulder, expression again indifferent and stare dull, only for one thin black eyebrow to raise for the smallest of fragments at the sight of Eren walking past Reren’s stall.

“What are you doing here?” Levi asked, going right back to fastening the harnesses before placing the saddle on Reren’s back.

“I was a bit bored so I thought I’d come and clean the stables,” Eren answered lingering in the doorway to Reren’s stall, watching almost _enticed_ as Levi prepared his horse. “Are you going out?”

“You’re not the only one who’s bored, Eren,” Levi answered dully, checking the riding equipment once more thoroughly before facing Eren again, Levi’s right hand lingering on Reren’s withers, “and the stables have been cleaned by Hanji and her men earlier this day.”

“Oh,” Eren murmured and ducked his head, before looking at Levi again and gifting the older man with a small smile. “I guess I’ll just go back to my room then.” He shrugged his shoulders and stepped back, raising his left hand to wave at Levi. “See you later, heichō!”

“Eren!” the captain called out when Eren rounded the corner, the younger man backtracking and looking at his captain with eyes wide in confusion.

“Yes?” he inquired, staring at Levi with those big, teal eyes while the captain looked to the side, corners of his lips slightly wrinkled as he tried to figure out why he called out to Eren. Giving up on it, Levi sighed and shook his head, taking Reren’s harness into his right hand.

“Ride with me,” he spoke as he led Reren out of the stall, Eren jumping to the side with a steadily brightening expression. “I won’t mind some company.”

“Yes, sir!” the younger man cheered brightly and hurried off to get his own horse ready while Levi led Reren out of the stables, patiently waiting for Eren to join him. The fact that it took little time for Eren to come out leading Lilu behind him told Levi that the younger man spent a lot of time with his mare, and Levi couldn’t help but feel a sense of pride sparking to life at the knowledge that Eren truly tried to be an asset to the Corps despite their rough beginning.

“Where are we going?” Eren asked as he mounted Lilu, the mare huffing contently and nudging Reren’s rear with her muzzle making Levi’s steed huff in answer, nudging the side of her neck with his muzzle when Eren led her over to look straight at Levi who mounted Reren in the meantime.

“Just for a short ride,” Levi answered. “I need to get out of here for a few hours.”

Eren nodded enthusiastically in agreement, fixing the thick scarf around his neck, dark teal eyes racking over Levi’s form when he wasn’t looking, noticing the lack of both gloves and a scarf. But Eren paid it no heed since he thought Levi intended to return before nightfall, and since it wasn’t really all that cold, the captain must have left them behind on purpose.

The moment they passed the entrance to the courtyard, Levi seemed to breathe lighter. They rode in silence with Eren trailing two horse-paces behind Levi, observing his captain with a small smile tilting his lips and warmth glimmering in his eyes.

By all rights, Levi hadn’t left a good first impression when they first _officially_ met, having beaten Eren up to prove a point. But Levi _did_ apologize in his own strange way and he proved to Eren that he was ready to do _anything_ for his men, more so than anyone else in the military.

Levi was all sorts of a confusing man, appearing boring and dull, but through the months working under him, Eren came to know Levi quite well, and in all honesty he liked him. In just a few weeks Eren learned how to read his captain, and in a sense it made him quite proud, because he knew that he was one of the rare few who could do it.

He knew when his captain was annoyed or angry, he knew when Levi was pleased about something, and he knew when Levi was happy, as rare as that happened.

Eren knew his captain through and through, and the more he got to know Levi the more he yearned to be closer to him.

No, he wasn’t ashamed to admit that, at least not to himself, Mikasa and Armin. He wasn’t ashamed to admit that he had come to care deeply for Levi, and even though he would most probably never admit that to the raven-haired man, even though his feelings would never be known or returned, Eren couldn’t and _wouldn’t_ fight them.

If he learned anything since he joined the Recon Corps it was that life was too short to hide anything from oneself. That didn’t mean he would shout it from the top of Wall Maria. His feelings were his own and he would cherish them, let them grow, and he would carry them in his heart, drawing on them to find strength and hope when all would seem lost.

Eren would be a fool to hope Levi would ever return his feelings, so he decided some time ago to simply be happy with serving under Levi, and doing his best to be of use. Both Mikasa and Armin told him he was a fool to have given up on telling Levi his feelings, but Eren would rather suffer like this than fall from Levi’s good graces.

Falling so deep into his thoughts, Eren hadn’t seen Levi glancing over his right shoulder at the younger man. Eyes which more often than not seemed harder than steel tinged with slight worry when he saw the wistful smile tilting Eren’s lips, those soulful eyes the color of lakes in summer, gazing at something only Eren could see with sadness and longing, and Levi’s heart clenched despite himself.

“Eren,” Levi spoke up, startling the boy from his thoughts, those eyes looking up at the captain wide and full of confusion.

“Yes, heichō?” he blurted out, a light blush tinting slightly tanned cheeks, and Levi’s eyebrows narrowed a bit as a spark of something he didn’t dare speak of singed his heart.

“I said ride _with_ me, not behind me,” Levi drawled dryly, turning his gaze away from Eren, but not fast enough to miss the big smile that brightened Eren’s face.

“Yes, sir!” he answered and nudged Lilu to go faster until he caught up with Levi and Reren, and Levi couldn’t help but notice that Eren seemed to sit straighter.

He had spent so much time observing Eren, so many days watching him from afar, so many nights exchanging words with him, and after all that, it became impossible for him to miss a single _fragment_ of Eren.

Really, with how much time he spent either observing the younger man or being in his company, Levi couldn’t blame himself for feeling how he did. If anyone was to blame it was Eren.

If anything was to blame it was Eren’s big eyes, still looking at the world with childish innocence and hope, Eren’s bright smiles, which somehow managed to melt even Levi’s heart; Eren’s convictions, which made Levi believe in their cause even after countless failures.

Eren carried his heart on his sleeve. He faced the world with nothing but hope and faith, and even after witnessing death and despair, even after losing friends and being cast out from society Eren still hoped that the world would one day become a better place.

So how could Levi _not_ feel like this? How could he have not fallen for this beautiful young man? How could he resist the incredible pull which brought people to Eren and made them want to put their trust in him even after he discovered his powers?

Just like so many, Levi had fallen into Eren’s trap, and in all honesty he didn’t mind it all that much, especially since he could do nothing about it.

After all, what would Eren want with a thirty-something, former-underground-rascal-turned-soldier, who was a dull human being on a _good_ day and an utterly frightening _monster_ on his _not_ -so-good days?

No. Eren would want nothing to do with Levi what-so-ever, so the captain made peace with the fact that he would have to be happy with simply observing the younger man and watching over him for as long as he would live.

What else could he do, really? There was no way that there would be more between them than a tentative friendship, so why get his hopes up? It was best to give up, and make peace with the situation.

It was best to say nothing, than say too much.

* * *

  _And I am feeling so small._  
 _It was over my head._  
 _I know nothing at all…_

* * *

Eren dared spare a sideways glance to Levi, unable to suppress a blush covering his cheeks as he took in the proud form of his captain.

If only – if _only_ he was brave enough, if only he was _good_ enough, he would find a way to put a smile on that face. He was certain that Levi looked even more stunning when he dared to smile. If only Eren wasn’t so young, so inexperienced – so _stupid_ when it came to so many things, he was certain that he would be able to get Levi’s attention.

And _heavens_ did he want it!

He wanted Levi to look only at him. He wanted Levi to _see_ only him. He wanted to see Levi relax around him, wanted to see those eyes fill with love and warmth, and he wanted them focused only on _him_.

Unbeknownst to the younger man, just as his spirits fell because of his thoughts, eyes the color of stormy skies racked over his hunched form, thin black eyebrows narrowing, but the owner of those steely orbs could find no reason to the younger man’s sudden sadness.

Before Levi could comment on it, a bout of cold wind blew around them, and a shiver passed down Levi spine making him curse the fact that he forgot his scarf and gloves.

“Eren, we should make our way back,” Levi commented, noticing with growing displeasure that snow was falling harder, making him wonder if it started only now or if he had been so lost in thought that he simply didn’t notice it sooner.

Eren looked at Levi before glancing around, noticing that the snowflakes seemed somehow bigger than before, the world appearing as though a veil was slowly falling around them to conceal their path and make them lose their way in endless white.

“Sure,” Eren murmured, turning Lilu around, and the two made their way back towards old Headquarters. Eren’s eyes widened when a bout of cold wind danced around them and he saw Levi tremble, even though the captain tried to conceal it. “Heichō, please stop.”

Levi stopped Reren when Eren spoke up and cocked an eyebrow at the younger man when he led Lilu closer. Levi’s eyes widened for the smallest of fragments when Eren unraveled the thick scarf from around his neck and leaned over to Levi, a small smile tilting full lips as he wrapped the scarf around Levi’s neck.

“What are you-”

“My coat is thicker than yours,” Eren cut Levi off, giving a closed-eyed smile as he tugged one edge of the scarf up to cover Levi’s nose before he moved back and fixed the collar of his winter-coat to cover his neck. “It wouldn’t do for you to catch a cold, heichō,” Eren commented almost tenderly, and Levi looked away, rising his right hand to tug the scarf higher, hoping to hide the slight blush he could feel covering his cheeks.

This was nothing new. Levi knew how caring and loving Eren was to those he considered friends, often seeing him do such small affectionate things to Mikasa and Armin. But Levi has never been on the receiving end of Eren’s caring nature, at least not to his extent.

They had never gone past asking the other about injuries sustained during expeditions.

But this small caring action wasn’t what made Levi act so uncharacteristically.

It was the fact that he thought he saw familiar warmth in those teal-green eyes, warmth he thought would never be directed at him. He had seen in there – albeit slightly different – when Eren would look at Mikasa, and often wondered how it would feel if Eren would look at him like that.

But even though this was different in so many ways, Levi couldn’t find a way to explain _why_ it was so. He only knew that it made him feel as though he had just entered his room at the Headquarters after a long day and collapsed into his armchair in front of the fireplace, sipping on a warm cup of his favorite tea.

While Levi tried to make sense of what just happened, Eren was doing his best to appear as though he _wasn’t_ beating himself up mentally for doing something like that.

What the hell came over him?! He _completely_ forgot himself and went and did something so _stupid_.

He was so concerned with waiting for Levi to comment on it, that he failed to see the way Levi kept glancing at him as he tried to figure out why Eren did that.

Unfortunately, both were shaken from their thoughts when another bout of cold wind blew around them, and the light falling of the snow turned into a blizzard faster than either could comprehend.

“We need to get out of here!” Eren cried out, raising his right arm to shield his face from the snow stinging his bare cheeks.

“We’ve passed an observation point just ten minutes ago!” Levi answered, doing his best to orient himself in the storm. “This way!” he called out and nudged Reren forward, glancing over his shoulder to see if Eren was following him, hoping that he wasn’t wrong, because if he failed to lead them to the observation point and they got lost in this storm, they wouldn’t have to worry about being eaten by Titans.

They would freeze to death instead.

Levi was going over the map of the whole area in his head, certain to a point that they were going in the right direction, breathing out in relief when he spotted a small cabin made out of solid stone just in front of them.

“We’re here!” he called out to Eren, daring a glance over his shoulder, his eyes widening when he saw the younger man hunched in his seat, one hand fisted in his collar, lips already turning blue from the cold, and even through the storm Levi could see Eren shivering like mad.

 _‘He lied to me!’_ was Levi’s first thought, his right hand fisting in the scarf around his neck, not as warm as it was at first, but still carrying Eren’s scent.

“Damn it,” Levi pressed out through his teeth, nudging Reren into a gallop, hearing the fait cry for him, but hurrying forward never the less. He jumped off of Reren when he reached the observation point, hurriedly leading his horse into the small stable and leaving him in there before he ran as fast as he could back to Eren.

Even though it took less than five minutes, the younger man looked hardly able to keep himself on top of Lilu, his eyes closed, body rigid, lips frighteningly blue, snow already clinging to the trembling form.

“Eren!” Levi snapped making Eren open his eyes, blue lips parting with nothing passing them, and Levi cursed under his breath, grabbing a hold of Lilu’s harness and leading her towards the stable, stumbling through almost knee high snow.

Levi held back from breathing a sigh of relief when they entered the stable, knowing that they weren’t safe yet, and he quickly secured the horses before coming to stand to Eren’s right, placing both hands on one quivering thigh, feeling the coiled muscles twitching uncontrollably.

“Eren, come on,” he urged, voice uncharacteristically wavering, “we need to get inside.”

“Heichō,” Eren murmured weakly, struggling to mount off of Lilu with his uncooperative limbs. He fell right into Levi’s arms, groaning when his knees almost met the ground, unable to handle his weight, and Levi wrapped his arms around Eren, all but carrying him out of the stables and into the raging blizzard.

He managed to kick the door open after making Eren lean against the wall, and the two stumbled inside with Levi hurrying to close the door, quickly looking around the room for a way to secure them. He found a chair beneath a window and carried it over, fastening it under the loosened doorknob, gaze constantly darting towards Eren who had collapsed beside the door the moment Levi let go of him.

“Come on,” Levi murmured as he kneeled beside Eren and wrapped his arms around him to help him up, immediately spotting the old stone fireplace and wood stored in the corner beside it.

There was a small dusty cot a little ways to the right, and Levi knew that there were spare blankets and pillows in the cabinets lining the walls. He brought Eren to the fireplace and sat him down in front of it, quickly piling enough wood after locating some old papers tucked between the fireplace and the logs, and he grabbed the box of matches off of the mantelpiece, hoping against hope that there was at least _one_ match in there, knowing that it would be enough for him to start a fire.

He breathed a sigh of relief when he found not one but six matches, and he did quick work of lighting a fire. He felt a small singe of relief when Eren managed to move closer, rising trembling, gloved hands towards the fire.

Levi quickly gathered what blankets and pillows he could find, resisting the need to thoroughly shake them because of dust gathered on them, and he threw them one by one in a pile beside Eren before he finally stopped moving, glancing at the younger man who still seemed to be out of it, although the room has already grown considerably warmer.

“Eren?” he approached the younger man and Eren startled, looking at Levi with wide eyes making the captain frown at him. “You need to take your coat and gloves off. They need to dry and you need to get warm,” Levi spoke as he unraveled the scarf from around his neck and quickly took his cloak off, hanging both on the closest chair and bringing another one closer.

When he realized that Eren had yet to move, Levi frowned at the younger man who had ducked his head, trembling hands fisting on his shoulders. Levi was about to say something when he noticed just how hard Eren was shaking, and he realized that Eren couldn’t actually move with his limbs trembling as hard as they did.

Letting go of a grave sigh, Levi walked over to kneel in front of Eren, covering the younger man’s hands with his own and tugging on them with surprising gentleness.

“You little idiot,” Levi muttered and Eren’s eyes widened at the affectionate tone, _certain_ that he was imagining it. “This is why I told you to _never_ lie to me.”

“I didn’t-” Eren wanted to contradict Levi, but he shut up when his captain shot him through with a hard stare, those silver eyes seeming somehow _warmer_ , although Eren was sure he was hallucinating.

Levi ignored the stunned expression on Eren’s face in favor of pulling the wet woolen gloves off of thin, callused fingers, throwing them to the side before he started on unbuttoning Eren’s coat, feeling how wet it was and frowning when he realized that the water passed through it, soaking Eren’s clothes as well.

“This isn’t good,” Levi murmured under his breath, because even though this observation point had a supply of blankets and pillows left behind after the Recon Corps moved to the new Headquarters, there were no spare clothes there.

“H-heichō-”

“Shut up, idiot” Levi bit out, his words coming out harsher than he intended as he tried to think of a way to keep Eren warm until his clothes dried. “Can you move? We need to get your clothes…” his words died on his tongue when he raised his head to look at Eren, finding the younger man staring at Levi’s hands fisted lightly in the collar of Eren’s jacket.

The younger man’s expression was so sad, so broken and _hopeless_ , that it came as a physical blow, and Levi felt like biting his tongue. He _had_ noticed that Eren tried exceptionally hard to please him. The younger man did everything in his power to do exactly as he was told, and – after all – they wouldn’t be in this situation if Levi hadn’t decided that he was bored and that he would like to go out.

Letting go of a long breath, Levi slowly helped Eren out of the jacket, struggling to find the words to say and coming up with nothing. He hung the jacket on the last chair for it to dry before kneeling in front of Eren again, cursing mentally when he realized that the younger man wore only the shirt he usually wore as part of his uniform.

“Come,” he urged quietly, helping Eren straighten, frowning at the wet patches in the younger man’s shirt. “There are enough blankets to keep you warm until your clothes dry.”

Eren said nothing, managing to straighten enough for Levi to help him get his shirt off, and even though it was already warmer in the room, Eren still shook harder, almost whining when Levi took a surprising gentle hold of Eren’s waist, telling him wordlessly to get up.

Levi got down on his knees after he made sure Eren wouldn’t fall and set out to help the brown-haired man out of his boots. A frown marred Levi’s face when he realized some snow gathered in the upper folds, soaking into Eren’s trousers.

He looked up when Eren stumbled, trembling hands fisting on Levi’s shoulders, and Levi nodded at Eren reassuringly, throwing the boots to the side before he sighed and tilted his head back.

“Hold on,” he murmured raising his hands to unbutton Eren’s trousers.

“Wait-” Eren shut up when Levi looked up at him with a narrow-eyed stare, something in him lighting up and filling him with warmth when he saw the heavy blush covering Eren’s cheeks and just a thin line of blue around blown pupils, although Levi quickly stomped on the sparks of hope, telling himself that it was just a normal reaction to him undressing his young companion.

Levi went back to work, keeping his breathing steady and masterfully tucking the awakening arousal and desire into the back of his mind, keeping his actions quick and clinical, tossing the trousers to the side when Eren stepped out of them and breathing a sigh of relief when he found that at least Eren’s socks and briefs weren’t wet.

“Wait a moment,” he muttered and Eren let go of him, wrapping his arms around his waist while Levi reached over to the pile of blankets and pillows, pulling a few closer. He threw two pillows on the ground behind Eren before covering them with a blanket, taking two more into his hands as he stood up.

Levi hung one blanket over his left shoulder, the thick cloth gathering on his elbow and making it a bit difficult to throw the other one around Eren’s shoulders.

“Sit down,” he spoke quietly, taking a firm hold of Eren’s elbows as the young man lowered himself on the pillows and blankets, tucking his trembling legs under himself and letting Levi arrange two blankets around him, tucking one up to make a hood around Eren’s head.

Pleased with his work, Levi turned his back on Eren to check up on the fire. Seeing the strength of the flames, Levi finally let go of a breath of relief and looked towards the window to the left of the door, frowning at the sight of the raging blizzard.

“Heichō?” he looked down when Eren stuttered out his title, the frown marring the captain’s handsome face deepening when he saw that Eren was still shivering, those soulful eyes seeming dazed and unfocused.

Levi was at a loss. He needed to warm Eren up, not wanting the younger man to get sick, but there was no way for him to make something warm for Eren to drink, and he really didn’t want to put the younger man into the tub he knew was in the back room, fearing the things that could have festered in there during the period of time this place has been empty.

Only one thing came to mind which would really be helpful to both of them, since Levi too started feeling the cold he didn’t feel before because he was moving around so much.

But that would require him getting close to Eren, and for the first time in his life Levi wasn’t certain that he would be able to control the natural reactions of his body to holding the one he wanted. It was easy keeping his distance, but he knew he would lose his control if he were to hold Eren.

But was his pride worth the younger man’s suffering? Was his pride worth of Eren getting sick?

Levi didn’t need to think hard to answer those questions.

* * *

  _And I will swallow my pride._  
 _You're the one that I love._  
 _And I’m saying goodbye…_

* * *

Eren’s eyes widened and his mouth went dry when Levi slowly unbuttoned the brown vest adorning his slim torso, the piece of clothing falling to the ground while Levi took off his boots. Small feet padded on the stone floor and Eren could find neither words to say nor the strength to react when those long, nimble fingers started working on the white shirt as Levi approached him.

“Hei-”

“I won’t let you get sick, so be quiet,” Levi muttered, and if Eren wasn’t as stunned as he was, gaping openly at his captain, he would have noticed the slight blush decorating otherwise pale cheeks as Levi slipped out of his clothes, remaining in his socks and briefs only, pale skin stretched over taunt muscles on open display, Eren’s wide eyes soaking in the sight, etching it into his memory, although he was starting to think that this was all some sort of a dream.

A very _good_ dream, but a dream none the less.

As a matter of fact, Eren was thinking more and more that he never left his dungeon back at the Headquarters, that he had fallen asleep and that he was dreaming all of this, because there was no way in _hell_ that Levi-heichō was just slipping under the blanket wrapped around Eren.

There was no way in hell that muscled thighs came to rest against Eren’s sides, strong arms settling around Eren, tightening the blanket around them both, no way that a sharp chin was resting on Eren’s right shoulder, _absolutely_ no way that there was a strong torso leaning against his back.

This was a dream.

A beautiful dream Eren would soon wake up from to his great regret.

“Relax,” the voice which haunted Eren’s dreams washed over him, warm puffs of air caressing the young man’s ear and neck, sending a shiver down his spine, and Eren resisted the urge to squeeze his thighs together, his member twitching in his briefs.

Eren squeezed his eyes tightly shut, unconsciously holding his breath, because Levi’s scent was washing over him. The scent he already memorized, one he could recognize in a sea of people, one that brought him comfort and a sense of absolute security.

Unfortunately, Eren’s reaction to Levi’s closeness wasn’t exactly encouraging to the captain. He felt the tensing of Eren’s body, he felt the shivers wrecking the slightly bigger frame, and Levi felt his heart clench within his chest, thinking that his doubts and thoughts were confirmed, taking Eren’s reaction as proof that he would never see Levi as anything more than his superior.

And even though Levi would never admit to it, it broke his heart.

* * *

  _Say something, I’m giving up on you._  
 _I’m sorry that I couldn’t get to you_ _..._

* * *

“Relax,” Levi muttered, doing his best to keep his emotions from showing in his voice. Eren’s obvious rejection did wonders in stomping on even the smallest specks of arousal that might have made his body react to the younger man’s. “We need to keep warm until the blizzard stops and we can make our way back.”

Eren wanted to answer, wanted to say something – _anything,_ but finding he was sorely lacking, so he simply nodded his head and hunched into himself, struggling to make his growing erection subside, but the closeness of Levi’s body, his welcoming warmth and soothing scent weren’t making it easy.

Levi pressed his teeth tightly together, squeezed his eyes tightly shut, the painful ache in his chest becoming almost too much to bear. He did his very best to keep his body relaxed as not to make it known to Eren just how difficult he found this situation, unaware of the struggle going on in Eren’s mind.

 _‘This is a dream. This is a dream. This is a dream,”_ Eren repeated over and over and over again like a mantra, absolutely certain that this couldn’t be reality, because there was no way Levi would ever do something like this.

This was a dream, and Eren was afraid to move, afraid to speak, afraid to _breathe_ too quickly as not to wake up.

But it was driving him insane.

He knew that once he woke up he would never be able to look at Levi the same again. He knew that it would become difficult to stay in Levi’s proximity. He knew that his heart would break come morning, when he would wake up in the warmth of his dungeon, this beautiful, beautiful dream fading with the rays of the morning sun breaking through the small window above his bed.

 _‘Damn it!’_ Eren cried out in his mind, fighting back tears. He knew that he would never be able to admit to the _real_ Levi what he truly felt for him. He knew that he would forever suffer this ache of unrequited love. He knew that come morning he would face reality in which Levi cared for him as much as he cared for every other member of his team, but _this_ Levi…

In this dream, _maybe_ things would go different.

What’s the worst that could happen?

He could only wake up, right?

At least this suffering would end then, right?

Maybe, if this dream-Levi rejected him, Eren would be able to forget. Maybe he would be able to let go of these feelings.

Maybe he would finally find piece.

Feeling the steadily growing tenseness of Eren’s body, Levi felt worse and worse. Never has he felt such rejection. Never has he felt such heartache. It was impossible to compare it to anything else but having his heart ripped right out of his chest.

Feeling faint and utterly defeated, Levi simply gave up. Arms which were wrapped around Eren’s waist relaxed as Levi breathed out weakly, and unable to hold back anymore, Levi rested his forehead between Eren’s shoulder-blades, closing his eyes as a sting he hadn’t felt in them ever since he was a child made him tear up, especially after he felt Eren go utterly rigid within his hold.

“Do you find me so repulsive?”

* * *

  _Say something, I’m giving up on you…_

* * *

The words hadn’t fully left Levi’s lips when Eren’s mind went blank and he acted on pure instinct.

Within seconds Levi found himself on his back, staring up into a pair of wide, frantic, darkened teal orbs, tanned skin tinged with a blush. Eren’s hands were fisted in the blanket on either sides of Levi’s head, his shoulders heaving with each heavy breath he took, lips quivering as he tried to push words past them.

“Repulsive?” Eren choked out in a broken voice and Levi’s eyes widened, his heart clenching within his chest when tears filled those amazing orbs of such a unique green Levi was certain he wouldn’t find a copy of them anywhere in the world.

“How could I ever find you repulsive, heichō?” Eren pressed out in a broken voice and a shiver trailed down Levi’s body as realization finally downed on him, words dying on his tongue before he could speak them. “How could I ever find you repulsive when I…”

Eren’s lips opened and closed several times, tears spilling down his cheeks to fall on Levi’s, the captain too stunned to move.

“I love you, heichō…” Eren choked out, slowly moving down, framing Levi’s head with his elbows as he rested his forehead on Levi’s chest, whole body shaking for entirely different reasons than before, “and I – I don’t want to wake up,” Levi’s heartbeat stuttered and his eyes open wide, something within him opening and flooding every single _atom_ of his being with warmth.

* * *

  _And anywhere I would’ve followed you._  
 _Say something, I’m giving up on you..._

* * *

“I don’t want to wake up, heichō, because I love you… I love you so much,” Eren choked out, voice hardly above a whisper as he rubbed his forehead against Levi’s chest, damp brown tresses caressing Levi’s heated skin.

It took little for Levi to connect the dots.

First thing he realized was that Eren – for whatever reason – thought this was a dream.

Second thing he realized was that Eren actually _loved_ him.

And the third thing?

Well…

Suffice to say he really didn’t need to think any further.

* * *

  _Say something, I’m giving up on you…_

* * *

Eren froze up when two rough, lightly trembling hands wrapped around his arms and he slowly raised his head, glassy teal eyes meeting two orbs of liquid silver, shadowed with so many things Eren couldn’t hope to name them all.

Eren stared in those amazing eyes utterly stunned, feeling those callused hands trailing under his arms and to his shoulders before they cupped his face. Thumbs caressed his cheeks as Levi stared at him, thin pale lips parting to let out a sharp puff of air.

“Idiot…” Levi whispered, voice hardly audible, and Eren’s eyes widened, his body moving of its own accord as Levi moved up. “Do you really think this is a dream?” the words were mouthed against Eren’s lips right before they locked with Levi’s, and Eren closed his eyes, mind clearing of thoughts.

And when the feeling of utter content and happiness washed over him, when he felt the tip of a tongue brush against his bottom lip tentatively asking for permission, Eren realized that this wasn’t a dream.

And his heart soared.

* * *

  _And I will stumble and fall._  
 _I'm still learning to love;_  
 _Just starting to crawl..._

* * *

 **Lyrics featuring in this story:** _Say Something (I’m Giving up On You) by A Great Big World,_ written by Ian Axel, Chad Vaccarino and Michael J. Campbell. Copyright: Songtrust Blvd, Ian Axel Music, Songs Of Universal Inc., Chad Vaccarino Publishing

**Inspired by:[S a y S o m e t h i n g [Eren/Levi] by Tasha Livingstone](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_uIKjMrIumg)  
**


End file.
